Laughing Boy (NHB Modern Plays)

Connor is, well, Connor. He loves buses, Eddie Stobart and Lego. He also has learning disabilities. When he dies an entirely preventable death in NHS care, his mum, Sara, can't get a straight answer as to how it happened. But Sara and her family won't stop asking questions and soon an extraordinary campaign emerges. Demanding the truth, it uncovers a scandal of neglect and indifference that goes beyond Connor's death to thousands of others. Sara Ryan's impassioned, frank and surprisingly funny memoir Justice for Laughing Boy is adapted for the stage by Stephen Unwin. It was first performed at Jermyn Street Theatre, London, in 2024, in a co-production with Theatre Royal Bath. 'So much magic. So much love. So much laughter. So much work. So much rage. And so many tears.' 'An urgent look at our broken care system... compelling and heartfelt... a mighty testimony that will leave you furious' 'A moving story about love, laughter and the indomitability of one family's fighting spirit... deft and shocking' 'Heartfelt and colourful... a story told with love and fury' 'Hard hitting... balances the procession of grim, galling details against humanising, light-hearted moments... succeeds both as a tribute to Connor's family, and as a galvanising call for deeper compassion and greater support' 'Powerful... hideously timely... a shocking story'

Sara Ryan is a Professor of Social Care at Manchester Metropolitan University. She is the author of Justice for Laughing Boy: Connor Sparrowhawk - A Death by Indifference, about the death of her autistic son Connor while in an NHS care unit.